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New dancers join Birmingham Royal Ballet

31 January 2008

Birmingham Royal Ballet welcomes two new dancers this season. Matthew Lawrence joins as Principal, and Gaylene Cummerfield as Senior Soloist. Both join from the Australian Ballet.

Speaking of the appointment Company Director David Bintley described both performers as 'strong, experienced and hard working'. He praised the Australian Ballet's own high standards, and expressed confidence that the new dancers would fit in very well with Birmingham Royal Ballet due to the similarities between the two Companies.

'It's hard to explain exactly' he said, 'but there's a family resemblance between these Companies, and I think that we share a lot of similarities in our training and in our performance styles. When you think of the early days of Birmingham Royal Ballet, then Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, a high percentage of the makeup was dancers from Australasia, from Canada, from South Africa. There was a way of approaching ballet that was common amongst these dancers which I think remains, even to this day.

Referring to his own commitment to nurture young talent, David commented: 'The signing of these dancers in no way affects the policy I have pursued over the past few years to bring on talent through the ranks; that will continue to the highest levels, and is I believe the best way to build a Company.'

The new dancers will make their debuts in the Company's forthcoming performances of Swan Lake at Birmingham Hippodrome. More details of the performances, and the rest of the spring UK tour, can be found by clicking here.